Grassroots Curriculum

One of the three cornerstones of effective grassroots coaching in addition to coaching education and a solid player development model is a curriculum. In MSYSA’s terms, curriculum” is roughly the same as “toolset”. Newer and developing coaches most often lack a basis of experience in coaching young children. Even former college players (now plentiful) who are new parents might well understand the game, but not the game through the eyes of a 6 year old, or how to effectively coach it. Novice parent-coaches and former player-parent coaches alike need to have access to proven materials appropriate for their players so that they have some foundation to use in their practices. Equally as important, the curriculum materials have to encourage the coach to learn and understand how the players’ learning process is happening, how to modify games, drills and exercises, and how to think through creating their own materials for their practices that work.

“To develop a coach, you must create your own exercises. These exercises should be for your team. As you develop your own exercises, you will begin to really understand soccer” – Sebastian Dremmler, FC Bayern Youth Academy

MSYSA’s curriculum will begin developing in late 2016, and will build over time. As with other parts of the cornerstone, MSYSA’s conviction is that all parts of the curriculum materials be free to use by MSYSA affiliates, easily accessible, and supported by coaching education.

MSYSA intends that the curriculum will also be a functional curriculum designed to help the coach learn how building-block practice elements fit together in a session, in a weekly plan, in a season and in long-term development. (See Curriculum philosophy)